The Effects of Pressure Gradient on Papilledema Improvement After Venous Sinus Stenting in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the pressure gradient on papilledema after stenting in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) patients and venous sinus stenosis (VSS). Materials and Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we examined 121 patients with IIH and VSS who underwent stenting. The papilledema Frisen grade at the 1-month follow-up was used as a grouping factor (favorable outcome: 0–1; unfavorable outcome: 2–5). We used multivariable logistic regression modeling to determine independent predictors of favorable outcome. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: A total of 96 patients had papilledema grades 0 to 1, and 25 patients had papilledema grades 2 to 5. Patients with the first group had significantly lower gradient pressures preoperatively (15.2 mmHg vs. 21.4 mmHg, p=0.001) and postoperatively (2 mmHg vs. 3.3 mmHg, p=0.002) relative to those in the second group. Multivariate analysis indicated that preoperative pressure gradient (odds ratio [OR] = 1.119; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.034–1.211]) and postoperative pressure gradient (OR = 1.498; 95% CI = 1.147–1.957) were independent predictors of favorable outcome. In the ROC analysis, the cut-off pressure gradient for the highest sensitivity (0.44) and specificity (0.874) was 22.75 mmHg, with a Youden’s index of 0.314. Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with a preoperative pressure gradient 22.75 mmHg (mean+SD: 2.639+0.382 [95% CI: 1.890–3.388] versus mean+SD: 3.882+0.884 [95% CI: 2.149–5.616]; p=0.004). Conclusion: A significant reduction in the pressure gradient appears to be strongly correlated with the success of VSS in patients with IIH. A higher preoperative pressure gradient may reduce stenting efficacy in patients with IIH. Clinical Impact Venous sinus stenting has the potential to yield substantial clinical advantages in individuals diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension with venous sinus stenosis. Nevertheless, a heightened preoperative pressure gradient could lead to less favorable results. Thus, the early adoption of venous sinus stenting is advised to avert additional irreversible clinical deterioration among idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients with venous sinus stenosis.